


Falling -- Cat Always Lands on Her Feet

by tooshoes



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Power Imbalance, Red Kryptonite, Smut, Workplace Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-06-08 09:56:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6849856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tooshoes/pseuds/tooshoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a companion story to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/6571345">"Falling -- The Missing details" </a></p><p>Both stories follow episode 16 of the Supergirl TV show named "Falling", where Supergirl is exposed to Red Kryptonite, which greatly affects her emotions and decision making.</p><p>The other story is told from Kara's point of view; This story will tell of the same events, but told from Cat's point of view.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Discovering Catnip

Cat arrived at CatCo at her usual time on Thursday morning, but Kara wasn’t at her desk, so there was no café latte to greet her. It was like waking up in the morning, and the sun won’t shine. Coffee was the most important meal of the day..

Cat asked Siobhan why she didn’t have a coffee ready, just in case Kara wasn’t there. Siobhan was startled. Was that an unreasonable request? Though Siobhan’s ambition was to take all of Kara’s responsibilities upon herself and knock the current #2 assistant completely out of competition, Siobhan had been content to leave the demeaning job of fetching Cat’s coffee to Kara. So she missed her opportunity to impress. Cat waved her off with a shrug: no problem, that just meant that Kara would arrive soon with a fresh cup of latte directly from the barista, and that thought whet Cat’s whiskers.

While waiting, Cat walked to her desk and checked her messages on the desk phone: she yawned through several requests for meetings, and then groaned at the voice of her mother, who called to cancel yet another visit with her daughter and grandson. Disgusted, Cat turned her attention to the mail left on her desk yesterday evening:  One bill, two ads, and a present from a very young and obnoxious suitor who just wouldn’t take the hint. She opened a gift card to find several tickets to a night club popular with millennials. Again, he was clueless, but he worked for a partner company, and it would be unprofessional to not thank him. Another job for Kara.

Hmm, where was she? Cat craved a little caffeine. Well, there was always coffee in the break room. It was way below Cat’s standards, but she was not going to deprive herself. She would drink hour old java, and then make Kara fear for her job when she arrived.

It wasn’t that Cat didn’t like Kara. In fact, she was quite fond of her. But she messed up with Cat’s son. It was a doomed relationship from the start, Cat knew, but it could not be overlooked. So Cat had hired Siobhan as a little lesson, and Cat could tell by the new anxious tick in Kara’s voice that she had learned the lesson.

But Cat really didn’t like punishing Kara, not the way she enjoyed punishing so many others. Cat couldn’t quite understand why or how, but Kara was special. Kara was very timid, always sacrificing, and never looking out for herself or accepting any trappings of power; she was the exact opposite of Cat, which frustrated Cat to no end. The girl would all but roll over like a puppy to please Cat, which was simultaneously demeaning to liberated women everywhere, and also completely adorable. But the thing about Kara that always won Cat over, and that made her different from every other employee Cat had ever employed, was that Kara genuinely liked Cat.

Sure, brown-nosing was common among all of her assistants, and the same is what Cat had suspected of Kara at first. No ordinary human could take the abuse Cat heaped on Kara without an ulterior motive. Cat would know, because it was the same abuse her own mother would heap on her, and she could never handle it herself. But when other employees sucked up to her, it was always “yes” to everything, and “of course you are right Cat.” Kara was different, because she was constantly tempting Cat’s wrath by posing opinions different from Cat’s, and looking out for Cat’s best interests even when Cat herself didn’t recognize what those interests were. It was endearing, but Cat worried for her. Kara was way too eager to serve, Cat thought. One day Cat would get through to her that she needed to look out for herself, because people will always take more from her than they would give back. She needed to take pride in herself.  Kara was pretty, and she needed to flaunt it. Kara was a talented hard worker, and she needed to demand rewards for that.  Then Cat would show her the respect she deserved. She might even call her by her real name.

While Cat was stirring sugar into an 8 ounce cup of coffee in the break room, she heard Kara’s announcing her presence down the hall. Finally! She abandoned her coffee mid-brew and was mentally preparing for her usual almond milk latte delight, to be accepted with her usual acerbic grace.

But as soon as Kara entered Cat’s field of vision, she completely forgot about what she wanted to say. She didn’t even notice that Kara was holding a few documents, with no coffee in her vicinity. All Cat noticed was the girl, and that she looked absolutely stunning from top to bottom. Her make-up was subtle but alluring. Her shiny red 6-inch shoes shaped her legs nicely and raised her stature to that of a model. And that black dress grabbed Cat’s eyes like a magnet. It was scandalous. Very short sleeves, very short skirt. Sheer stripes cut through the black fabric from top to bottom. Maybe they were flesh colored, Cat could not be sure, but what she was sure of was that Kara wore little if anything underneath. She saw no panty lines under the silky smooth fabric, and Kara's perky breasts bounced freely under the second skin. Her nipples stared right back at Cat, who had to force herself to look down at the mail in her hands to slow her accelerating heart rate. She would be well within her rights to demand that Kara go back home and come back wearing something more appropriate. But somehow that would feel like a crime she would always regret. Instead, Cat said with as little enthusiasm as she could muster: “Kierra, look at you, dressed like an adult. That’s promising.”

Kara smiled with a respectful nod. Cat stood in front of Kara, separated by Kara’s desk, and shuffled through the mail some more, trying to take these absurd feelings in stride, but then something about Kara’s scent carpet bombed her defenses. The perfume was deeply unsettling. “Hmmm,” Cat said, trying to sound casual, but it came out sounding like a moan. She quickly turned away and addressed her two assistants at the same time, trying to regain the upper hand. “So, uh, I demanded a list of replacements for Lucy Lane, like, yesterday.”

As expected Siobhan was ready to impress, jumping up with papers in hand. But Kara was just as quick, and accepting Kara’s work gave Cat ample excuse to engage her, and to steal another look.

Kara handed Cat several sheets of paper, saying, “Here you are. I already checked all of their references and ranked them according to who you’ll find the least annoying.”

“Oh,” Cat replied, surprised by that last comment. It was so unlike Kara. “Any Republicans?”

“Two reformed,” Kara replied, knowing exactly the kind of mix Cat liked in her employees.

“Excellent,” Cat replied, now thoroughly impressed in just about every way she could imagine. She felt this urgent, almost creepy feeling, demanding that she reward Kara. She remembered the gift tickets in her mail. She pulled them out and handed them to Kara. “Oh, and look at that. A reward. Someone gifted me these tickets for Club Apocalypse for Friday night to see a Scandinavian  DJ whose name I won’t even try to pronounce.”

“Thank you,” Kara replied smiling. “I’ll put them to good use.”

Cat felt vaguely ashamed about her feelings. She had always thought of Kara as a daughter or a student or she didn’t know what, but never quite like this. Or maybe this was the feeling she had always felt, the feeling that had her so confused, but a feeling that she had never allowed to surface. But now she found herself trying to impress Kara, like some high school student with a crush. It was embarrassing, but that didn’t stop Cat from flashing Siobhan an immature you-lose glare as she departed into her office.

Now, sitting at her desk, she organized her pens and documents on her desk, while helplessly falling into steamy daydreams where the shy supporting character is suddenly thrust into a starring role.

 


	2. A Quick Journey Through Cat's Lives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People never feel the way they should feel

Cat spent the rest of the day avoiding Kara, who was stirring feelings in Cat that she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in many years.

When Cat was Kara’s age, she remembered dressing up very much like Kara was dressed today, climbing the ranks at the Daily Planet using her body almost as much as her brain.

Cat’s mother most definitely had not approved. Back then, her mother’s approval meant a lot to Cat, so she quickly found a nice man, got married, and brought a beautiful baby boy, Adam, into the world. Having a baby and husband was supposed to tame Cat, and her maternal instinct would transform her life.

But nothing had worked the way it was supposed to. Cat’s mom still showered her with disrespect. Her husband married her for the same shallow reasons that she married him. And as much as Cat’s son softened her heart, the dreams she had caged in her soul could not be contained. Marriage and motherhood could not fix Cat, but only tear her apart and create a wound that would never heal.

Cat’s mother had rubbed salt into that wound every chance she would get, reminding Cat in every voicemail and text that she was a failure as a wife and mother, driving Cat to focus even more on her career.  

She had told herself and her mother that she had no time to think about men, but in truth she only liked men for how they furthered her career and for nothing more. Her mother would literally disown Cat if she even showed the slightest interest in women, so Cat never did. It was easy, because even when she found women attractive, they were never interested in Cat. Maybe Cat made sure they would not be interested by how she treated them.

But now there was Kara.

Cat could not stop thinking about Kara.

Cat needed to stop thinking of Kara.

The situation was untenable, with Kara spending almost the full day right outside Cat’s office, separated only by a glass wall, so at 3 pm, Cat decided to call it a day. She paused at Kara’s desk; she couldn’t help it. She fumbled with her purse so that she wouldn’t have to look at Kara, but her legs still buckled when she breathed in her scent. “Cancel my 3:30. I need to pick Carter up early today.”

Cat didn’t wait for a response, walking briskly to her elevator. She stopped at the coffee shop and ordered her own cafe latte for a change, which she sipped on while reading a day old copy of the Daily Planet left on a table. A half hour later, she called her driver and picked Carter up at his prep school.

Tomorrow was the start of spring break at St. Edmund Hall, and Carter’s father arranged to take Carter camping for the entire 10 days starting tomorrow morning. Cat didn’t mind. Joe Morgan was a good man. That’s why she decided to have a child with him. There was no pretense of a marriage between them. Carter did not grow up seeing them fighting with each other, and Carter would never doubt that both of his parents loved him.

This was as close to a normal life that Cat allowed herself to dream of.

As soon as Carter stepped into the car, he asked his mom his usual question: “Did you see Supergirl today?”

Cat responded with her usual you-are-so-predictable look. “No, not today Carter.”

Normally Carter would then sigh as though Supergirl appearances were the only interesting thing that ever happened at Cat’s office, but Cat was surprised when Carter next asked, “Could we hang out with Kara and Winn?”

Cat didn’t know how to respond right away. During the past week, Cat had spent late nights at work, so she had Carter delivered from school to CatCo twice last week, where he played video games with Winn, while Kara cheerled them both on. Cat would usually be happy to take Carter to work, but she wasn’t sure she could face Kara again today.  

And just that one question from Carter put Cat’s sudden infatuation with Kara into perspective. She was going through a mid-life crisis or something, and it was crazy for her to entertain these thoughts. Kara was much closer to Carter’s age than to her own. Hell, Kara was only a year older than Adam. And Kara seemed closer to both of her sons than she was to Cat herself. The only way Kara should be involved in her personal life is with her sons, she decided.

Cat brushed Carter’s hair with her fingers and replied, “No, you can play with Winn and Kara when you get back from your trip,” she said, then thought for a moment about how Kara looked today. “Uh, Carter, maybe while you are camping with your dad, you might want to talk with him about … you know, the birds and bees and stuff.”

Carter’s face turned instantly red, and he shot her an incredulous glare, shouting, “Oh my God, Mom, I’m 14!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update was short; more soon.


	3. Disenchanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat's faith in people is tested when her two favorite girls disappoint.

Joe arrived promptly at 7 am to pick up Carter. Cat teared up a little, then cursed herself. It wasn’t like he was going away forever. Still, she would be pestering him on the phone every night. She knew it wasn’t fair to him, since the whole point of a camping trip was to get away from it all, but she demanded he take his cell phone with him.

When Cat arrived in the office, once again Kara was not there to greet her with her latte. No, no, this will not do. If Cat could somehow manage to get Carter ready for his trip, recover from letting him go, and still manage to get to work on time, then Kara could do the same. Cat felt cured from whatever spell Kara had put on her, and she was prepared to lay down the law.

So when Kara finally arrived, she was already eager to put the girl in her place. As soon as Cat heard the bell sound of HER elevator opening, and saw Kara exiting it, she was out for blood.

“Kierra!” Cat yelled out, as she put down her work, and rose from her desk. She steeled her demeanor as she approached her assistant, and then spat out, “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

“Your latte , Ms Grant,” Kara said with a smile, as she handed Cat her latte. As soon as the beverage touched Cat’s hands, the warmth had a relaxing effect on her. Kara continued, “Walking from the main elevator takes an extra 90 seconds, which means your latte’s 90 second colder.”

Cat’s determination was already shaken. She had prepared to send Kara home if she was dressed again like she was dressed yesterday, but today she was adorned much more conservatively, yet still stylish and sexy. In fact, her dress was almost exactly like one Cat sometimes wore to work, so there was little for Cat to complain about. Cat breathed in the scent of her coffee, which was mixed irresistibly with that same wonderful perfume Kara was wearing yesterday. Cat really needed to find out what that perfume was and add it to her arsenal of professional weaponry.

“Brazen,” Cat declared while staring at Kara, now totally impressed and unsure how to feel about it. “That’s a new color on you, I don’t mind it...Yet.”

Cat wanted to talk with Kara some more and understand how the mousy girl had become so confident, but out of the corner of her eye, Cat could see Siobhan almost shaking with anticipation. Irritated, Cat demanded of Siobhan, “What do you want?” while never taking her eyes off of Kara.

“I’ve got a scoop for you,” Siobhan said, gushing. She was holding a tablet computer like a golden ticket. “Can we talk...in private?”

With a sigh, Cat told Siobhan to come along, as she led Siobhan into her office, thinking that this had better be good.

Before Cat even settled in her chair, Siobhan was holding a tablet in front of her face, with a low resolution b/w security camera video already playing.

“What is it I’m looking at?” Cat asked, as she immediately recognized the all too familiar costume of the girl on the screen. Supergirl had some strange man-like creature pinned on the ground, when suddenly she stepped away, and the creature fled.

“It’s Supergirl,” Siobhan replied enthusiastically, “letting a bad guy go.”

Cat suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She had given up faith in so many people over the years, but Supergirl had slowly restored a hope that people could really be good, and that the strong don’t necessarily become corrupt. She had to give Supergirl the benefit of the doubt.

“Put this under your hat until we figure out what’s going on,” Cat instructed, handing the tablet back to Siobhan.

“What is going on,” Siobhan said, as if stating the obvious, “is that Supergirl isn’t the hero she claims to be.”

“There must be an explanation. Maybe it’s another Bizarro,” Cat replied.

“Who cares,” Siobhan replied like a predator smelling blood, and her eyes looked off into the distance, imagining the headlines. “Supergirl turning bad, and we’re the first to report it. We could change the conversation. We could dominate the headlines. We could …”

“Don’t use media jargon you don’t understand,” Cat replied, now feeling more confident that the video was not what it seemed. “We have a process here. We don’t rush to destroy reputations like a tabloid.”

“But…” Siobhan interjecting, raising her hands in excitement and frustration.

“That will be all,” Cat waved her away, as if the video hadn’t bothered her one bit.

Siobhan paused for a moment in disbelief, then stormed out of the office.

Cat sighed, knowing that look in Siobhan’s eyes. That look meant trouble.

An hour later, Cat saw a name on her caller ID that she hadn’t seen in years.

“Hello, Perry,” she answered the phone. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“It appears you have a loose cannon on board,” Perry replied gruffly. “One of your employees… How the hell do you say this name? Seeyobon Smyth? Anyway, she has been peddling some video purportedly of National City’s token Kryptonian being a little too forgiving. I assume you know what I’m talking about. Now, I know we haven’t seen eye-to-eye on much, but I owe it to my big guy here to give his cousin a little slack before I cover her with slime. Besides, one thing I can’t tolerate is reporters going behind their bosses' backs, even if that boss is you.”

Cat felt disgusted. She hated being in anyone’s debt, and being in Perry’s debt was almost intolerable. But she had to suck it up and be polite. “Why, thank you Perry. Actually Shi-vawn is just an assistant,” Cat said, surprising herself that she would correct anyone else’s pronunciation of employee names, especially Perry's. But it was Perry who first gave her the idea of mispronouncing employee names, to keep them in line until they earned respect; it was like telling an employee that you didn’t care if they came or went.

“Just make sure you clean up your house. This is the only courtesy call you will receive.” And with that, Perry hung up, making the whole conversation feel more like an insult towards Cat than helpful advice.

Cat closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm down, when Kara suddenly appeared at the door to her office.

“Yes?” Cat asked. feeling her heart lift for a moment. Kara did not have her usual timid expression when she waited at the threshold of the office. She had one arm propped confidently on her hip, and her eyes beamed. Cat was looking forward to some of Kara’s perky dialog and naive optimism of the human spirit, which Cat often mocked, but always appreciated behind her cynical facade.

Instead Kara came forward and dropped a sheet of paper on Cat’s desk and said, “Excuse me Ms. Grant. I saw this on Siobhan’s printer, and I thought it might concern you.”

Cat glanced at the first few lines. Addressed to Perry White, and referring to a video.

She glanced up at Kara. “I didn’t take you for such an opportunist.”

Kara had a hint of a smile on her face, and that small hint poisoned Cat’s heart. It meant that Kara was taking pleasure in someone else’s misfortune. With anyone else, Cat would expect that. It’s how this world works. But Kara had always seemed like a beacon of hope and forgiveness. Cat needed such lights in her life, because she always felt like she was swimming in the dark. But now both of the women who inspired Cat were losing their luster. Supergirl apparently was seduced by corruption, and Kara was giving into petty jealousies.

But who was Cat to judge? After all, she had hired Siobhan to teach Kara a lesson and make her fear for her job. Cat just never believed that Kara would show such guile.

“Thank you Kara,” Cat said, not sure if she respected Kara more or less.

Kara paused for a moment, expecting more of a reaction.

“That’s all,” Cat terminated Kara’s brief visit. Kara was still as beautiful and intoxicating as ever, but the magical spell she had over Cat had weakened.

Twenty minutes later, Siobhan walked into Cat’s office, delivering a bouquet of roses gifted to her from the head of a local TV station.

“Oh these are very nice,” Cat said, admiring the beautiful flowers, breathing in their perfume, and feeling her spirit calm. It felt good knowing that something so beautiful could really exist without any ugliness behind it.

Then Cat looked up at Siobhan, and let reality back in.

“Now I have something for you,” Cat said, handing her the letter.

Siobhan nearly collapsed in a chair, when she realized she was caught.

With the door wide open, Cat then proceeded to dress her down in a way that would make any of her other employees think twice before betraying her again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kara/Cat stuff is coming, I promise, but we have to go to a dark place first. D‑':


	4. Cat Lands On Her Ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Supergirl's and Kara's behavior sparks Cat's curiosity, with predictable results

Cat stayed late at the office that night, not because work required it, but her son was away with his dad, and she felt pathetic for not having a date on a friday night, so rather than mope around at home she decided to keep working.

Perhaps the word “working” did not properly describe what she was doing now: She was sitting at her desk with a dozen pictures of Supergirl spread out, and she was drawing eye glasses on each likeness of the hero.

Cat had never been quite convinced that Supergirl and Kara were two different people. Yes, that show that the two suspects put on to prove they were separate individuals was damned impressive, but this was Supergirl we were talking about, and who knew what amazing powers she had that she never told anyone about. Cat did not want to be fooled by some cheap magic trick. Cat also did not want to be a paranoid nut who ignored accept iron-clad proof. And Cat did not want to demonstrate her investigative skills by dishonestly spying on the two women who meant the most to her. So Cat pretended to accept the proposition that Kara and Supergirl were different people.

But her mind would not stop sifting through the evidence. When she had seen Kara take her glasses off, she looked like the spitting image of Supergirl; could Cat’s vision really have fooled her? She knew from many years covering crime, where eye witnesses to an event were positive about an identification, and yet were completely wrong, that people can fool themselves to seeing what was not really there. Right now, when Cat drew glasses on the images of Supergirl, they looked surprisingly like Kara, but not exactly the same. In every picture of Supergirl, her face looked so serious and direct, while Kara always wore different emotions. The women voices sounded similar, but always with different attitudes and inflections. Supergirl saved people’s physical lives, while Kara wanted to save people’s emotional lives. Cat could not help but think of them as two sides of the same person, and both were very special to Cat, though in different ways.

Over the past several weeks, Cat had rationalized away her doubts and suspicions. Maybe unconsciously she wanted for both girls to be the same person,  because she was strongly attracted to both women. Love had a funny way of messing with people’s perceptions, so Cat had dismissed her suspicions as born from some kind of infatuation.  Such girlish feelings were beneath her, so she had pushed the suspicion and feelings out of her mind.

Then the suspicions returned today, when Kara’s reputation was going from angelic to seductive faster than a Disney child star reaching adolescence, and, at the same time, Supergirl was caught on surveillance  being very unheroic. Could that simultaneous change in their characters be yet another coincidence?

Cat felt bad for doubting the women yet again, but now she had a damn good reason to spy on Supergirl. If Cat did not at least investigate the surveillance video, then Siobhan would have been right: Cat would not be doing her job. She didn’t want to be sneaky about it. She no longer thought that Supergirl’s secret identity was anyone’s business but her own, and if the girl of steel wanted to waste her time as Cat’s assistant, that would be fine. But if something was wrong with Supergirl or with her assistant, both she and the public needed to know.

After tossing it around in her mind for a couple of hours, Cat finally decided to simply ask Supergirl outright. She picked up her phone and dialed Jimmy Olsen. “I need to talk to Supergirl. Press your silly watch and send her here now.”

Twenty minutes later, Cat watched as Supergirl touched down silently on her porch, as she had done a dozen times before, but now sporting a very different attitude.

“What do you want?” the goddess demanded, annoyed at being summoned.

As soon as Cat stepped on the porch, she could sense that same intoxicating perfume that Kara had been wearing this morning. That clinched it, Cat thought with a smile, then tried to focus on why she called Supergirl here.

“Well, I would like to know if Ashton Kutcher and his camera crew are hiding underneath your cape. Supergirl would never release an evil alien caught in the act of armed robbery, so I assume I am being punked,” Cat replied, wanting to give her friend the benefit of the doubt.

“I wouldn’t assume anything from now on, Cat!” she said, snapping the name Cat like a whip.

Cat raised an eyebrow. “Did you just call me ‘Cat’?” This woman did not sound like Supergirl, and certainly not like Kara.

“You branded me in the media as a Girl Scout,” the blonde bombshell complained, then then pretended to read from Cat’s article: “Supergirl is brave, kind and strong, blah blah.”

“Yes?” Cat prompted, wondering why Supergirl objected. Everyone thought of her that way and loved her for it.

“Isn’t that kind of a stock characterization?” Supergirl argued. “Very two-dimensional. Everyone knows real people have different sides to their personality.”

“Yes,” Cat agreed, but she knew as well as anyone that a person’s public face needed to be carefully controlled. “Explore those other sides in your secret life, but Supergirl doesn’t get to be a real person. You’re a superhero. You get to represent all of the goodness in the world. As one of your kind said, ‘with great power comes great responsibility’”.

“Well, I’m sick of it! The demands, the scrutiny, the criticisms. I did not sign up for any of it!” Supergirl  replied, wincing, then she turned away from Cat and looked over the balcony, down at the city  “And you know what else I’m sick of? Enabling all of you in your victimhood, saying ‘Oh, well, my building’s burning down, la-di-dah. I’ll just wait, Supergirl will swoop in and save the day...’ Well, get used to the flames, people, ‘cause I quit.”

This was worse than Cat had thought. Whichever costume the girl  wore, she always seemed very innocent of the world, showing optimism and faith in humanity despite growing up an orphan from a dead world and battling evil on a daily basis, or pulling her hair out trying to satisfy her mildly sadistic boss. But the girl’s gentle soul always won out in the end, so Cat had believed that this maiden’s spirit was as mighty as her body. Now Cat could see that the girl was as fragile as any human.

“Supergirl,” Cat prodded for her attention, and Supergirl turned around to face Cat. “I fear that you are having some sort of a mental breakdown. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us, and I’m happy to take you to Dr. Shuman for emergency Lexapro. That is, if your alien brain will respond to the SSRIs.”

Supergirl sneered at Cat, like an addict or deluded soul who could not see their own disease, so Cat spoke more directly: “In the meantime, I would lay low. Be careful that you don’t do anything you might regret. This haughty attitude is highly unsuitable.”

Supergirl replied with mock admiration: “Well, I learned it from the best: Cat Grant.”

Cat smiled weakly, knowing the pattern. Next Supergirl would deflect responsibility and shame by a scorched earth counter attack, hoping to hurt Cat in return. Cat refused to play that game.

Supergirl rolled her eyes. “Wow, Cat, the only person in the world more full of themselves than you is Donald Trump. You are the most arrogant, self-serving, mean-spirited person I know.”

Cat thought she was ready for anything, but anyone comparing her to Adolf Trump was going too far, so she unwisely struck back. “Now, you listen to me. I made you, And you are not going to let me down.”

“Or what?” Supergirl challenged her, calling her bluff.

“Or what?” Cat repeated quietly, seeing a dangerous look in Supergirl’s eyes, like a wounded, cornered animal.

Supergirl stepped forward, and Cat could not keep herself from stepping backwards.  “Wait. I forgot. You’re the most powerful person in National City. At least that’s what they say on TV.”

Cat blinked. This was getting out of hand. When the powerful lose sight of their values and respect for their inhibitions, disaster always follows.

“You want to see what powerful really looks like?” Supergirl said. Kara grabbed Cat by the shoulders. “Watch!”

With a quick toss, the girls Cat loved threw her effortlessly over the balcony.

Cat was in shock, with her body flailing, her voice screaming, and  time slowing as it always does in this situation, letting the doomed have one last attempt at finding a meaning for their life, as it nears an end.

Cat could see her angel’s eyes watching as she fell. This was the worst way to die, killed by someone close to her heart. Someone who could now never apologize, and who could never forgive Cat’s own confessions.

As Cat rolled over, and saw the ground expanding in her vision crazy fast, the faces of her children flashed oh too briefly into her mind. She said an instant, desperate prayer that Carter’s dad would find the strength to raise him right, and that Adam could one day forgive her.

But just as Cat closed her eyes and prepared for oblivion, she felt arms wrap around her, and a tremendous tug nearly crushing her bones. Then suddenly she was tumbling to the ground and landing on her ass. Cat’s hands were shaking uncontrollably, while that beautiful, terrifying face glared down at her, saying, “True power, Cat, is deciding who will live and who will die.

Supergirl stepped away, then paused to add, “And don’t EVER call me again.”

She then leaped up into the sky, leaving Cat feeling naked in her weakness, surrounded by equally shocked pedestrians. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really sorry about the delay posting this chapter. Life got busy, and does not appear to be slowing down any time soon, but I'll continue as soon as I can.


	5. Becoming herself again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a most embarrassing and heartbreaking fall, Cat nurses her wounds.

Cat slunk back into the CatCo building, to her den. Her hands continued shaking off and on for hours, and she tried to grapple with what had just happened and to regain her dignity.

Anger welled up inside of her. At first she thought she was angry at Supergirl, which would be totally reasonable, after what Supergirl had done to her. But even after seeing and experiencing whatever evil had possessed Supergirl, Cat couldn’t believe her own eyes. If Cat couldn't have faith in Supergirl, who could she believe in? No, gradually Cat realized that she was more angry at herself, but for what she wasn't sure.

She wondered if maybe she had deserved this cruel treatment from Supergirl. Did she deserve to be shaken up for how she had always treated Kara? It made no sense for Cat to accept this blame, and she knew it consciously, but she felt deserving nevertheless. After all, neither Kara nor Supergirl ever treated anyone with anything but respect and caring, so how else could Cat explain this kind of treatment?

Even if Cat was totally blameless for Supergirl’s criminal actions, she felt ashamed for how she reacted. She felt ashamed for not immediately sizing up the situation and helping her friend. She felt ashamed that she let her weakness show. She felt ashamed even for feeling ashamed.

She could not help herself feeling that way. Anyone’s nerves and feelings would be shaken after what she just went through. She could not help Kara, and she could not do her duty by patiently waiting for whatever was wrong to correct itself. She needed to accept what she could not change.

Cat was not one to wallow in self-doubt for long. She fought to regain her emotional footing. Cat decided to do something she thought she would never do: go over the security video for the past 2 days. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but she was sure answers were there.

Such sleuthing was slow, meticulous work, but adrenalin kept Cat’s mind sharp, and she couldn’t sleep without some answers, anyway. After about an hour, she figured out how to watch multiple security cameras simultaneously, then she felt like she was being productive, even though progress was very slow. She ordered a pizza at 1 in the morning, which was very strange for so many reasons, but she felt like she was in uncharted territory. Like Kara, she was no longer quite herself.

By dawn, Cat had made about a page full of notes, none of them very revealing, but she still felt like she knew Kara better than she ever had.

Cat could see dramatic changes in Kara’s personality each day from wednesday to thursday, then from thursday to yesterday.

When Kara had arrived on wednesday, she was dressed in a simple pink sweater over a white dress shirt. Below she wore a long striped skirt, and navy blue flat shoes. Demure. Always in the background. Moving awkwardly, unsure. So sweet that Cat just wanted to slap her into shape.

Kara’s arrival on thursday could not have been more different, and Cat did not at all mind reliving that moment. Kara was dressed in a delicious black dress that Cat had only refrained from ogling out of politeness when they were face to face, but now she had the opportunity to examine her assistant in detail. The transformation did not end with her clothes, makeup and perfume. Kara appeared extremely confident, but she was also distracted most of the day, and took frequent breaks outside of camera view. She bit on her pen seductively. She visited NSFW websites on her laptop when nobody was watching. And most surprisingly of all, she stared longingly at my office several times during the day. It was like sex was the only thing on her mind all day.

Friday’s version of Kara was more professional in look and attitude. Sexuality was used as a controlled power. Her clothing, demeanor and attitude were remarkably Cat-like. She slinked. She played. She pounced. She was everything Cat always taught her to be, and that made Cat feel sick to her stomach. What did this say about Cat herself? What kind of an influence had Cat been to her generous and genuine assistant? If anything, Cat should have been following Kara’s example.

Cat walked over to Kara’s desk and dared to look through the drawer. Not much evidence to be found there, except for how Kara used to be. A small, elegant photo of her family. A few silver earrings. An extra pair of nerdy glasses. And a tiny photo of Cat in a bikini???

Cat did a double take upon seeing the photo, first trying to figure out where it came from, then trying to understand why Kara kept it. After a moment, Cat remembered a collage she had made around ten years ago about happy moments in her life, which was stored away somewhere in CatCo. Certainly the photo came from there. But why would Kara have it in her desk?

Cat shut the desk drawer and retreated to her office. All of this spying didn’t tell her anything about why her beloved assistant and hero had turned on her and was turning on everyone else.

The floor office manager was just now arriving, soon to be followed by a small weekend crew.

Cat took a break in her private restroom to freshen up from the layers of stress accumulating throughout the day. The thought of retreating to her home and her bed never occurred to her. Cat had listened to CNN all night while she studied the security video, and not one mention of Supergirl, so it was up to Cat to break the news of the hero’s fall to the public. That was the last thing she wanted to do, but she wouldn’t skirt her responsibility.

As Cat prepared to record a public service announcement to denounce a friend she always wished to become closer to her, James and Winn both hurried into her office.

Neither employee was on the work schedule today, but the activity in the office was much higher than normal for a Saturday morning, so Cat didn’t notice. “Ms. Grant, what is going on?” Winn asked.

Cat sighed as she turned away from an assistant who was preparing her makeup for the video recording. “Supergirl has gone completely off the rails, and I have to publicly denounce her as a villain.”

“Ms. Grant, Supergirl is not… not a villain.” Winn replied, barely able to get the word out of his mouth.

“That doesn’t change anything. People are in danger, and the public needs to be warned,” Cat replied.

“Uh…” WInn began, pausing, trying to figure out how to explain technical stuff to Cat’s more worldly ears. “You see the thing is Supergirl is under the influence of some mind poison created by Lord Industries. We believe it is attacking the amygdala in her brain which makes it difficult to for her to control her impulses, to remember things correctly, and for her to sympathize with other people. But they are working on an antidote right now.”

Cat was relieved for stupid reasons. Part of her still believed what had happened was her own fault. But given this news, now Cat had no reason to believe Supergirl would become herself without intervention. Damn Maxwell! Cat thought. He was a genius, but was also like an undisciplined little boy with the most powerful playthings anyone could have.

“Ms. Grant, look,” James said, taking an almost pleading stance. “I’m sure Supergirl will be fine soon. But if you denounce her, it’s not going to matter. She’ll have lost the city’s trust.”

Cat wished she could share in James’ and Winn’s denial, but clearly the danger was not real to them, so Cat put them straight. “Listen, she threw me off of a balcony. I fell 40 stories. I was a few feet away from splattering on the pavement when she flew down and caught me on a whim, now I appreciate that some people are trying to cure her, and you want to protect her reputation. I want that, too. But at this moment can you guarantee that the public is safe? Can you guarantee that ANY of us are safe? No? No.”

So Cat proceeded to record her public service announcement. She sat solemnly at her desk and spoke directly into the camera:

“Citizens of National City, this is Cat Grant, live this morning from CatCo Plaza. As you all know I have been Supergirl’s most outspoken champion. So you can imagine how difficult it is for me to tell you that I and CatCo can no longer stand behind Supergirl. I made you trust her. I gave you my word that she was safe. I was wrong. Supergirl has changed, fallen. Her mind is poisoned. She is unstable and extremely dangerous. She let a dangerous criminal escape from justice. Then she threw me off a building last night, threatening my life, and … who knows what else she is capable of. It is not easy being let down by our idols. Having someone who embodies our heroic ideals helps us believe that we are heroes too. But sometimes our heroes fail us. So please, for your own safety, stay away from Supergirl.”

***

The recording circulated on several radio stations every 30 minutes. The story was instantly trending, and CNN quickly was calling CatCo to interview the celebrity that Supergirl had attacked.

But for once, Cat did not want to want to be part of the news any more than she needed to be. Now that she had done her terrible duty, the exhaustion from stress, heartbreak and no sleep caught up with her quickly, so she called her driver to take her home.

She turned off the ringer on her phone, then she reclined on her couch, with a clicker to bounce between CNN and MSNBC, and a tissue to wipe away frequent leaks from her eyes.

The media army had quickly surrounded the story and attacked it from every angle, and even in her livingroom, Cat felt like she was on the front lines. Two people with cell phones had captured Cat laying helplessly on the ground below Supergirl last night like a helpless prey. News anchors dissected Cat’s relationship with the Kryptonian. Fox News plastered a banner over their coverage saying simply “Cat Fight!”, and outrageously suggested that Supergirl and Cat were fighting over a man or social status, like they were two girls still in high school.

The coverage became more focused later in the day, when several news cameras caught up with Supergirl wandering around a mall. She gave up her normal bright colors for a dark, skin-tight costume, and strutted her stuff amongst a nervous crowd. But Supergirl did nothing to draw attention to herself, apart from just being a renegade superheroine, so the news coverage went to a commercial and then other news, only to quickly cut back to the mall, where people were scattering from a bar, and loud crashes were heard from within. Then Supergirl emerged, marching like a soldier, and glaring fiercely.

Cat hugged a pillow tightly and shivered. Kara’s eyes looked the same as they looked just before she tossed Cat over the balcony. The blonde bombshell was set to explode, as she marched out of the mall and launched into the sky.

A few minutes passed, while the talking heads debated what to make of the Supergirl situation.

In the meantime, Cat heard a faint explosion through her open window. She approached and looked out and saw a few flashes of light on buildings downtown, almost a mile away. A few sirens accompanied the signature red and blue lights. Then silence.

About 10 minutes later, Cat collapsed into her seat and the words “Supergirl captured” appeared on CNN, and the anchor said her condition was unknown as her unconscious body was whisked away in a black van by mysterious figures dressed in the same color. Then the broadcast blathered on about some new alien on the scene, urban destruction and ray guns, blah blah blah, but all Cat wanted to know what Kara’s condition. She wouldn’t find that out until Monday, and all she could do until then was pull her hair out and wallow in feelings of undeserved guilt. She was glad Carter wasn’t around to see her in this condition.

***

To Maxwell Lord’s credit, he owned up to his role in the Supergirl tragedy. He took much of the blame, dominating the news cycle throughout Sunday, and even tried to defend the hero he had often maligned.

But much of the public was not ready to embrace Supergirl again. People are wary of the powerful. They would forgive her, now that Max had fallen on his sword, but anxiety remained, as doubts were planted in their minds. Was she cured? Could it happen again? Did the red kryptonite merely expose what was already in her mind?

Cat was not immune to those worries, and had a few extra worries of her own: Did Supergirl really feel about her the way she said on the balcony? Would Cat ever have the same relationship with her assistant again?

Cat worked obsessively all of Sunday to keep her mind occupied on work rather than her personal concerns, but everything was connected. The government was surprisingly tight lipped about Supergirl’s status, so even Cat’s investigative reporters were left with no leads. Cat had to face the broken pieces of her relationship, and even the broken pieces of her building, head on. Everything needed to be rebuilt. Cat walked past Kara’s unoccupied desk a dozen times, and she juggled calls from other media outlets, construction crews and insurance companies.

Cat napped for 3 hours on a couch in her office, then she was back to work early monday, arguing prices with a few contractors in her office, when she caught a glimpse of Kara exiting the main elevator, looking as mousy and nerdy as ever.

Cat’s heart almost stopped, unable to handle the volatile mix of emotions released into her system. She nearly fainted, and one of the contractors helped steady her. Cat smiled and thanked him, already feeling too many other emotions to add embarrassment to the mix. She looked again into the hall, but Kara was already gone. Did Cat really see her? Or was she seeing phantoms? No, Cat decided, she was real and everything would be OK, now.

Cat finished her negotiations with the contractors, and she knew she was making terrible deals, but she just wanted to wrap everything up. She needed to see Kara. She needed reassurance that everything was fine again.

After ushering the workers out of her office, Cat walked past Kara’s empty desk and set out to find her assistant, but Kara seemed to be nowhere in the office. Cat asked Kelly at the main desk if she had seen Kara yet, but Kelly said she had just arrived herself.

Cat’s anxiety was growing as she hurried down the hall and turned a corner, when the door to a storage room opened directly in her path, and Cat literally walked into Kara.

Kara juggled a cup of coffee, as both women jumped back in surprise, exclaiming “Oh!”.

Cat immediately felt relief upon seeing the girl, who not only appeared healthy but also completely herself. She was dressed in her usual innocent garb: a modest blouse, obligatory sweater, and knee length skirt.

Kara did not share Cat’s relief. Her eyes shivered in panic, facing a friend she had treated so horribly. Cat sensed that she was about to apologize, which would have totally blown her secret identity. Cat knew keeping that secret was important to Kara, so Cat put on her dismissive boss routine.

Cat rolled her eyes and shook her head: “Well look here, it’s Jan Brady time-warped from the 70s. Last week you were a real go-getter with that stunning black dress. Now you look like you are auditioning for a throwback sitcom. Very disappointing. But thanks for the coffee.”

Cat sipped the coffee as she continued down the hall, going nowhere in particular. For the first time since friday night, Cat’s fingers stopped shakign, and her usual swagger returned to her walk. Finally, she felt like herself again, knowing that Kara felt the same way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry for the long delay. Only one chapter left.


	6. Being Honest With Oneself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat and Supergirl return to the scene of the crime

Cat finished up the day at work. It was late, but she did not plan to spend another night on the couch in the office. She was looking forward to a long night of sleep on her soft, cushy bed.

But first she wanted to call Carter. She had been good up until now, leaving him alone with his dad out on the mountain, or wherever they were camping, but they left more than three days ago, now, and it felt like much longer. She needed to hear his voice. She hoped his dad didn't take away his cell phone to further the camping experience.

She dialed. The phone rang 5 times, then Carter answered, "Hi Mom. Dad says I can only talk for a minute."

“Oh, that’s OK, I just wanted to hear your voice and know that you were having fun,” Cat said, then suddenly aware of how different she was with Carter than with anyone else. After the Red Kryptonite fiasco, she would find herself often wondering how many personalities can hide within one person.

“We’re having a blast!” Carter exclaimed. “We caught some fish in a lake. I played soccer all day yesterday with some people in another campground. And dad let me build my own fire tonight.”

“Is it cold out there?” Cat was curious. The air conditioning at CatCo was blasting, because it already felt like summer outside.

“Nah, we just made the fire to cook the fishes.”

Cat balked at correcting his grammar. “That’s sounds like fun. Did you guys listen to the radio or use the internet?”

“Of course not, that wouldn’t be camping,” Carter replied, parroting his father’s attitude. “Anyway, we only get like 1G speeds here.”

Cat sighed, relieved to know that he hadn’t listened to the news. If she talked with him for long, she knew he would bring up the subject of Supergirl, and she just couldn’t talk to him about his idol today. Cat struggled to think of something to say that wasn’t a mom thing, like “be careful”, or “don’t stay up too late”.

“Mom?” Carter finally asked when she took too long.

“I’m here. Just keep having fun, and I promise I won’t call again for at least a few more days. Goodbye, love you.” Cat said.

“You, too, mom,” Carter replied awkwardly, perhaps feeling uncomfortable about saying I love you with his dad there, then he hung up.

Cat stood up, yawned, and started turning off lights, preparing to call it a night. She searched through her cell phone for a taxi service, as she walked towards the balcony to the door leading outside, when she noticed that unique perfume.

She put away her cell phone, and paused in the doorway.

Supergirl was seated near the edge of the balcony on the arm of a love seat. She was looking out at the city. Kara glanced Cat’s way, then back out at the city, and began to say what sounded like a prepared speech:

“A couple months ago, when I lost my powers, I stopped a robbery just by appealing to the robbers’ better natures. Just a week ago, I saw some kids bullying this little girl, but when I showed up, the bullies turned into such softies, not because they were afraid of me, but because of what I represented. I was bringing out the best in people. This was never something I earned. I always felt like my gift wasn’t my powers, but the symbol I had become, and it was such an honor. I’ve never been happier than when I’ve been Supergirl.”

Then Supergirl’s voice broke, as she struggled to continue: “But it’s just not the same now, after what I have done. I know what happened wasn’t exactly my fault. My brain was altered. But it brought something inside of me out that was ... mean and horrible. And what I did to you Ms. Grant…”

“Oh please… I’ve BASE jumped Mount Kilimanjaro, do you really think you scared me?” Cat interrupted, brushing off the experience to make Kara feel better. But she knew her claim was not convincing. “Well...OK, yes, you did scare me.”

Supergirl nodded. “I know, and I’m so sorry…I scared the whole city. And now I’m so afraid that I’m never gonna win them back. “

“Well, if you came here for me to tell you that everything was going to be OK, I can’t do that. It’s not that easy.”

“I know,” Kara murmured, while staring down at her hands.

Cat stepped forward, and tried to motivate Kara, like she had done many times before. “Now, I said that it’s not going to be easy. I didn’t say it would be impossible. Personally, I don’t believe in failure, not if you get back up and face the music. It takes time. But if anybody can win this city back, it’s you.”

Kara looked up. Tears were still welling in her eyes. At that moment, she didn’t look like a super-girl at all, as she started to say, “I’m so sorry that…”

“No!” Cat said sternly, pointing right at her “You’ve already apologized. Never apologize twice.”

Kara wiped her eyes and nodded.

Cat knew she would need to lead the young woman back to the fragile confidence she once had.

“The same goes for tomorrow,” Cat continued “I’ll give you a chance to apologize to the city on TV. Say you’re sorry just once. And then make sure you never have to apologize again.”

Cat stepped behind Kara, towering over the seated girl. She put one hand on Kara’s left shoulder, and stretched her other arm forward over Kara’s right shoulder, pointing at the city, as if they were both pointing and seeing the same thing. “Look at your city,” she whispered in Kara’s ear. She pointed at a school, a playground, a train, and a ball park. “It needs you.”

The wind picked up, as it was prone to do on the 40th floor, and blew blonde hairs over Kara’s eyes. Cat brushed the hairs away. All of Supergirl’s trappings of power seemed for naught now. She seemed small and so vulnerable. So very Kara. Cat rubbed her shoulders, and Kara’s muscles melted in her hands.

“Can I just sit here for a little while?” Kara asked quietly.

“Of course,” Cat replied in a whisper, as she kissed the back of her head.

Kara leaned her head back, using Cat’s breasts like a pillow.

The stress had all but left the girl’s body, but Cat continued to massage Kara’s buff arms and shoulders, working her hands under Kara’s cape, while still kissing the top of Kara’s head.

Cat’s eyes were only now adjusting to the night, so she could see the hero’s body more clearly. She now saw that Supergirl wasn’t the pure angel she seemed to be before being exposed to the Red K. Something was awakening within her. She was wearing much shorter boots, and no tights, making her legs almost glow in the darkness. Her lips looked blood red in the shadows, and her scent was driving Cat wild.

Cat finally figured out how the cape was attached to her suit. Flipping two buttons set it free. She dropped the cape onto the small couch. Now she had access to the top of Kara’s back, and to several clips that held Supergirl’s top snuggly to her body. Cat wondered by what super power Kara could fasten the clips all by herself.

Cat rubbed her muscles as though giving her a massage, but both girls knew better. Cat suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to confess something, maybe to create balance. Cat wanted to tell her that she knew Supergirl was Kara. She wanted to tell her that she knew her name wasn’t really “Kierra”. She wanted to confess that she was often jealous of her powers and her goodness. But her mouth wouldn’t move, because she had never confessed the most important thing.

Kara shifted her body to the right, as if she was moving onto her side on a bed, and rested her head sideways on Cat’s chest.

Cat slowly slipped one clip loose, then another, each time revealing a little more skin. When she was finally working on the last clip, Kara’s top burst open. Kara crossed her arms in front, as if shy, and she looked up at Cat, saying, “Are you sure? After all that I have done?”

“Shut up,” Cat demanded, then prevented any reply by smothering her mouth with a hard kiss. She then grabbed the Kryptonian goddess and pulled her back to one side, so she fell into the small sofa. Kara’s shirt was dangling in the front, with her arms still in the sleeves. Cat pulled on the heavy fabric, and with Kara’s help, it fell away easily, freeing a well-toned body and two beautiful, bouncing C cups. Kara’s body was moist, like freshly peeled fruit.

Cat dropped on her like a tiger on a deer, breathing her scent in deeply, trying to swallow her tongue, nibbling the skin on her neck, then biting into the soft flesh of her breasts and nipples. Cat was astounded by her own passion, as she tried to push down Kara’s skirt. Frustrated by the tight belt, she lifted the hem instead, and immediately knew this girl was as reckless and excited as she was.

Kara had been trying to unbutton Cat’s shirt, but couldn’t even get started, the way Cat was moving around wildly, so Kara simply tore her shirt off. Cat paused for a moment and removed her bra, before Kara could destroy that as well.

Then they kissed and explored and experimented like two children unleashed upon a new playground.

Once, when Cat was on the bottom, and Kara was climbing down her body, Cat caught a glimpse of a camera pointing down at her from the floor above. She had forgotten about the security system. Then it occurred to her that other cameras and telescopes might be pointed their way. After all, the 40th floor was the only lit part of the building this late at night, and the balcony had been the site of a major news story just three nights ago. Some people might be paying attention.

But today was a very different day, and Kara was a different girl. Shame and embarrassment were not in Cat’s emotional pool today. She was too busy admitting to herself that she was in love, and the object of her affection was diving deep, touching her core. She wanted to confess her love. She wanted to yell it from the rooftops, but the 40th floor would do.

Cat grabbed Kara’s hand and pulled her off of the couch and led her under a bright light. Defiantly, Cat would give snoopers something to talk about. She led Kara into a quick dance, with only the beats of their heart providing rhythm, and then leaned precariously against the edge of the balcony, trusting Kara to keep her safe. Both girls stretched over the edge, like a scandalous version of Jack and Rose on the Titanic, exposing themselves to whatever eyes were hidden in the night. She almost hoped someone was watching and recording this. It would wipe away the memory of the humiliating photo splattered on the news two days ago, and she would join Supergirl atop the tabloids, but on her own terms.

When the moment passed, Cat turned back around, and the women closed into an embrace. Excitement turned to tenderness. Maybe a little privacy was better.

“Carter is away all week with his dad,” Cat whispered into Kara’s ear.

Without another word, Kara locked one arm under Cat’s shoulders and the two lifted up into the night sky. Their bodies glowed from the moonlight and the lights of the city, like twin shooting stars.


End file.
